Beef Chat

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) confirmed Tuesday, April 24 a positive test result as part of its enhanced surveillance program to test cattle for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE, often referred to as “mad cow disease”). USDA confirmed this animal did not enter the human food supply or animal and pet food supply.

The bottom line remains the same: Beef is safe. The BSE agent is not found in meat like ground beef, steaks and roasts. Experts in human and animal health agree that U.S. beef is safe from BSE because of the progressive steps taken by the U.S. government over the past two decades. The world’s leading scientists, medical professional and government officials agree that BSE is not a public or animal health risk in the United States.

Please visit http://bseinfo.org/ for the latest information and follow @BSEInfo on Twitter for the updates.

It seems that we all have to do more with less these days. From what we buy at the grocery store, the gas we fill our cars with, and the time we have each day. Making the most of what we have can be challenging, but there is one group who has been doing great with what they have. In fact, this group has been improving what they have in order to be more efficient and sustainable.

That impressive group is our American cattle ranchers.

Cattle ranchers celebrate Earth Day everyday and have always been environmentalists. Taking care of the land is necessary for the success of a cattle herd and ultimately the ranch. Over time cattle ranchers have made huge improvements to preserving the water and land. Researcher, Dr. Jude Capper from Washington State University, discovered that today’s beef uses 30% less land, 14% less water, and 9% less fossil fuel energy than beef produced 30 years ago. What is even more impressive is that we are producing 13% more beef with 13% fewer animals.

This research along with many personal accounts of environmental stewardship remind us that those that raise beef animals are also caring for the land. For cattle producers, Earth Day is every day!

1. Preheat wok or large sauté pan on high for 2 minutes.2. Now add 2 tbsp of the oil, beef, and stir fry for 2 minutes to brown the beef.3. Remove the beef from the pan.4. Next, add remaining oil and vegetables to the pan and stir fry for 2 to 3 minutes.5. Now add beef, beef stock, black bean sauce and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Thicken lightly with cornstarch slurry.6. To finish, toss with noodles and green onions to garnish.

We’ve all heard the story, city girl meets a farm boy and they fall in love. They move to the farm and the girl doesn’t know how to deal with life in the sticks.

But with this amazing woman, that simply isn’t the case. Anne Burkholder, has adapted to life on the farm and has done simply great things for the industry.

She says, “A native of urban Palm Beach County, Florida; I was an Ivy League educated athlete fueled by beef for many years before I understood ‘where my beef came from.’”

I invite you to take a look at her blog, http://feedyardfoodie.wordpress.com/. Here, Anne has pages for her blog, a place to ask questions, a glossary of common “feedlot terms”, and a corner where her twelve year-old daughter gets to blog too.

I really admire Ms. Burkholder’s blog because she addresses “hot topics” in the industry, where she quite literally grabs the bull by the horns. She calls on her industry friends to provide an expert opinion and also fully understands why those in the urban setting can get the wrong impression of what happens on a farm/ranch. Check out her thoughts on Lean Finely Textured Beef here: http://feedyardfoodie.wordpress.com/2012/03/15/looking-for-good-answers-to-hard-questions/.

According to the blog, “Feed Yard Foodie is a site where people can come to read about the real story of beef, written by someone who actually gets their hands dirty.”